The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-06-22
GOOD NEWS FOR SETTLERS.
The Peoples Rights Nobly Protected b,
Democratic Administration

|
The Presidents instructions to Sec
retary Lamar have been obeyed, an,
the great indemnity belts of publ
land are soon to be thrown open to tn
settler. 1t was the attempt to ro1
Guilford Miller Of his farm that direct
ed the Presidents attention to the ex
clusion of settlers from these belts
They had been shut out not by law
but by the action of Executive Off
GERS who were anxious to serve tn,
great land grant corporations. In hi
letter concerning the Guilford Mile
case, the President says:
AFTER lapse Of fifteen years this largo bod,
OF the public domain is still held in reserve. t,
the exclusion OF settlers, for the convenience o
corporate beneficiary OF the Government. ant
awaiting Its selection, though it is entirely Ger
| tam that much Of this reserved land can neye]
| De honestly claimed by said corporation Suct
condition OF the public lands should nc
longer continue. So far as it is the result 0,
Executive rules aud methods, these should bt
abandoned
The Secretary now shows that four
teen land grant railroad companies
have made selections in the indemnity
belts to the full extent of their rights,
and that twenty-five have chosen in
those belts all the land that is subject
to selection. The belts have been
closed to the settler for various terms.
ranging from two years to thirty-seven
years. Under the rulings of the de-
partment no settler can acquire any
rights under any of the general land
laws in any part of the belts so long as
they remain withdrawn by Executive
order ''There seems" says the Sec
rotary, "to be no valid reason why
these orders of withdrawal should not be
revoked" They are to be revoked, for
the Secretary's plans for restoring the
belts to the public domain have been
approved by the President.
The action taken by MIR. Cleveland
in relation to these lands will be re-
garded hereafter as one of the greatest
achievements of his Administration.
For fifteen years broad belts of public
land, covering in the aggregate 1OO,-
100000 acres or tract equal in extent
to the area of the four Middle States
and the six New England States, have,
by orders of the Interior Department,
been closed to settlers to serve the con-
venience Of powerful corporations and
to enable these corporations to Cypress
those who might try to make homes
within the boundaries. These indem-
nifty belts should not be COMPOUNDED
with the grant belts. In the indem-
nifty belts the corporations have never |
had any rights by law except the right |
20 select comparatively small num- |
Der OF sections in the grant belts. The
boundaries OF the indemnity belts were |
specified, not in order that the copora-
ions might control the lands included |
" them. but simply to restrict the
'rea within which they were allowed
% select sections in lieu of those in the
grant belts which had been acquired
" settlers before the passage of the
granting acts.
And yet the Interior Department
vas for years SO completely under the
ontrol of these corporations that all
+ these indemnity belts-containing
'erhaps fifty sections which the cor
could never acquire by law
or every one section which they could
swfully take to make good their losses
4 the grant belts were promptly
'ithdrawn from settlement by depart
lent officers and have remained closed
ntil this day. As we have said, this
'as not done simply to suit the con-
enience and caprices of these heavily
lbsidized corporations. The evidence
lows that it was done for another
urpose rs well. Settlers could not 90
pom these lands and obtain title from
le Government under the Homestead
nd Presumption laws, but they did 20
with the hope of making reasonable
rms with the corporations, for, al
lough the corporations knew that
icy could never legally obtain title to !
ore than small number of sections
ey undertook to exercise control
'er the whole area. They had not |
cked out their sections. Who could
Ii where these selections would be
AIDE? A hoggish corporation would n
efer to pounce upon a settlers inn
owed farm if it could find one. It
rs the efforts of some hundreds of
rmers living in an indemnity belt, !.
10 had been oppressed by one of II
csc corporations, that caused the
esent Land Commissioner to decide
at Miller was entitled to his farm,
d to direct that indemnity selections is
lst be made upon vacant land. But &
fore this action had been taken the :,
operations had worked their will i
tn the unfortunate farmers and had :.
acted payment in many cases for 8
I'd to which they could not give clear
e. All this jobbery must now cease.
e companies must take their legal ~
re, and in the remainder of this r
'at tract of 100000, 900 acres the set ~ n.
: will be able to secure title from !
Government under the general %
d laws.-N. 2. Times. al
81
organs are wont to
lax OF "the Unsuitable hunger for ne
,ilS 0f tho nomorwof;o po,k,,.,, l.A | Isl